A29368:65
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference…
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridge ...The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1671
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Thirdly, If you would serve God under the conduct of free grace, then do not envy others that are more employed, that have better success, and are better paid than your selves: observe how it is with two Servants in a great Shop, the one at one end, the other at the other end; the one may take more money than the other, yet they do not envy one another: and why? but because they both serve one Master. Thus it should be with the Saints and servants of God, they all serve one Master; and therefore one should not envy another, because he is more employed, or hath better success.
Fourthly, If you would serve God under the conduct of free grace, then be sure you do not serve for wages: be not mercenary in your service. It becomes those that serve under free love to be very free in their service: saith one, I have been wrought upon by my Neighbour, and ever since I have endeavoured to do him good. Now it is God that hath wrought upon ⟨p. 22⟩us by his free grace; and if so, let us freely serve him, and labour to do him all the honour we can. When the Prodigal first thought of returning home unto his Fathers house, he saith first, Let my Father make me as one of his hired servants. This was a Legal expression; I will be hired, Let him make me as one of his hired servants; but when he saw his Fathers love, he talked no more of his hired service. Inheritance is not of the Bond-woman, but of the free. I do confess indeed, it is not unlawful to look unto the recompense of reward: yea, it is lawful for us to do it. But now do you desire to serve under the conduct of free grace, then look not for wages; do not do as an hireling, as the labourers of the Vineyard: no, do it freely in a way of love, thankfulness and believing.
Fourthly, If you would serve God under the conduct of free grace, then be sure you do not serve for wages: be not mercinary in your service. It becomes those that serve under free love to be very free in their service: saith one, I have been wrought upon by my Neighbour, and ever since I have endeavoured to do him good. Now it is God that hath wrought upon ⟨p. 22⟩